In the Kitchen with Oobah Butler!

And I'm cooking Paneer Jalfrezi, and you're invited...

It’s March, which is nothing to get freaked out about. As my friend Allee put it: time is not cyclical, it moves exactly the same way every year, we should not be surprised by this. This week’s recipe is Paneer Jalfrezi, a dish I love to cook because it doesn’t cost very much and is about as satisfying as dinner can get. In The Interviews I’m speaking to Oobah Butler, bard of the internet and all round good guy, about what vegetable he would choose to be reincarnated as, and the best aeroplane food he has ever had. Let’s get down to business!

I first started cooking Paneer Jalfrezi from the Vivek Singh recipe for it in this ancient Guardian feature, which calls it a Stir-fry of paneer cheese with peppers. This recipe owes a lot to his one. Over the years I’ve altered it so there’s a little less bashing in the old pestle and mortar (or mortar and pestle, as the Australians say).

A Jalfrezi is the name for a spicy stir fry, and that’s exactly what this is. It isn’t very saucy like you might be used to from the takeaway - the paneer is just coated in the sauce, which is why I usually serve this with the saucier partner of Saag. The recipe for that in my previous newsletter here. However, you can serve the paneer just as is with rice or bread if you prefer, you’ll still be satisfied.